Oil Circulation System For A Compressor

ABSTRACT

An oil circulation system for a compressor comprises a control valve body integrated therein with a pressure sensor, a differential pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The control valve body is further integrated therein with a temperature control valve connected to an external cooler for lowering a temperature of a hydraulic oil, an oil filter for filtering the cooled hydraulic oil into a clean hydraulic oil, and a pressure relief valve for relieving a pressure of the clean hydraulic oil, which is then circulated back into the compressor for use. The integration of the aforementioned components effectively downsizes an entire set of machinery comprising the compressor and the oil circulation system and increases an efficiency of the compressor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to an oil circulation system and, moreparticularly, to an oil circulation system for a compressor.

2. Description of Related Art

In a conventional oil circulation system for a compressor, as shown inFIG. 1, a hydraulic oil is pumped from an oil tank 10 through atemperature control valve 12 to an external oil filter 14. A cooler 16is usually provided upstream the temperature control valve 12 forcontrolling a temperature of the hydraulic oil at a level mostappropriate for operation of the compressor. The hydraulic oil is thencirculated from the external oil filter 14 to the compressor 18 for use.In addition, it is necessary to provide a temperature sensor 20 betweenthe temperature control valve 12 and the oil filter 14 for sensing thetemperature of the hydraulic oil, and a pressure relief valve 22 betweenthe oil filter 14 and the oil tank 10 for releasing an excess of thehydraulic oil back into the oil tank 10.

In the aforementioned oil circulation system for the compressor 18, aplurality of components are required, including the oil tank 10, the oilfilter 14, the cooler 16, the temperature control valve 12, thetemperature sensor 20, etc. As a result, an overall volume of an entireset of machinery comprising the compressor 18 and the oil circulationsystem cannot be reduced. Besides, an efficiency of the compressor 18decreases because the more components there are, the more power tends tobe wasted. Therefore, impracticality is one of the major drawbacks ofconventional oil circulation systems for compressors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the present invention provides an oil circulationsystem for a compressor to overcome the drawbacks associated with priorart oil circulation systems for compressors.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an oilcirculation system for a compressor, wherein a temperature controlvalve, a temperature sensor, a differential pressure sensor, a pressuresensor, an oil filter, a cooler and a pressure relief valve are allintegrated together and installed in the hydraulic oil circulationsystem to save space and increase an efficiency of the compressor.

To achieve this end, the present invention provides an oil circulationsystem for a compressor, comprising a control valve body which isintegrated therein with a pressure sensor, a differential pressuresensor and a temperature sensor. The control valve body is furtherintegrated therein with a temperature control valve connected to anexternal cooler for lowering a temperature of a hydraulic oil, an oilfilter for filtering the cooled hydraulic oil into a clean hydraulicoil, and a pressure relief valve for relieving a pressure of the cleanhydraulic oil, which is then circulated back into the compressor foruse. The integration of the aforementioned components effectivelydownsizes an entire set of machinery comprising the compressor and theoil circulation system and increases an efficiency of the compressor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives andadvantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the followingdetailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a prior art oil circulation system fora compressor; and

FIG. 2 is an oil circulation system for a compressor according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, an oil circulation system for a compressoraccording to the present invention comprises a control valve body 24,which is integrated therein with a temperature control valve 241, apressure sensor 246, a differential pressure sensor 244, a temperaturesensor 243, a temperature control valve 241, an oil filter 242 and apressure relief valve 245. The temperature control valve 241 isconnected to an external cooler 25 and further connected to a first endof the oil filter 242, while the temperature sensor 243 is providedbetween the oil filter 242 and the temperature control valve 241. Thedifferential pressure sensor 244 is connected to the first end and asecond end of the oil filter 242 for sensing a pressure differenceacross the oil filter 242. The second end of the oil filter 242 isfurther connected to the pressure relief valve 245, which has an outletend connected to the pressure sensor 246 for sensing an outlet pressureof a hydraulic oil. Thus, the hydraulic oil pumped from an oil tank 26will go through a series of control processes in the control valve body24 before flowing into a compressor 27, where the hydraulic oil isactuated by a motor 28 to compress air. Therefore, the present inventionnot only reduces an overall volume of an entire set of machinerycomprising a compressor and a conventional oil circulation system, butalso increases an efficiency of the compressor. Moreover, the controlvalve body according to the present invention is connected to externaloil pipes by a plurality of square flanges (not shown).

Hence, the present invention achieves the desired effects by providing abreakthrough in the technical structure of prior art. Further, thepresent invention is not easily conceivable by people skilled in the artand has never been disclosed prior to this application. In addition, theusefulness and non-obviousness of the present invention apparently meetthe requirements for patent application. Therefore, an application forpatent of the present invention is now filed for examination.

It should be noted that the embodiment of the present inventiondescribed above is not intended to limit the scope of the present, butto illustrate the technical content and features of the presentinvention, so that the present invention can be understood and carriedout by those skilled in the art. Therefore, all equivalent changes ormodifications made to the described embodiment are encompassed by theappended claims provided such changes or modifications do not departfrom the spirit of the present invention.

1. An oil circulation system for a compressor, comprising: a controlvalve body integrated therein with a pressure sensor, a differentialpressure sensor and a temperature sensor, wherein the control valve bodyis further integrated therein with a temperature control valve connectedto an external cooler for lowering a temperature of a hydraulic oil, anoil filter for filtering the hydraulic oil into a clean hydraulic oil,and a pressure relief valve for relieving a pressure of the filteredhydraulic oil, which is then circulated back into the compressor foruse.
 2. The oil circulation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecontrol valve body is connected to external oil pipes by a plurality ofsquare flanges.